Paramount chief of the Bongo Traditional Area, Naba Baba Salifu A. Lemyaarum has pledged on behalf of his sub-chiefs and himself to support the Upper East Regional Minister in his quest to develop the region.
The chief who made the pledge during a courtesy call on him by the Regional Minister Mr. Rockson Ayine Bukari, described him as one who already has good relations with traditional authorities as he had served for many years as registrar for the house of chiefs and understands best how traditional authorities operate. He thanked the President for appointing Mr. Bukari to the position of Regional Minister [RM] stressing that no chief should have a difficulty approaching the minister to discuss issues of development and efforts to improve the lives of the region’s people.
Bo-Naba also described the regional minister as a public figure who is known for taking the hard decisions and sticking to them as far as they are for the public’s benefit. He for instance recalled how such actions of the RM during his days as Municipal Chief for the Bolgatanga Assembly culminated in the municipality gaining national recognition as the cleanest among its peers in Ghana.
He however appealed to the RM to give special attention to the Bongo Traditional Area and for that matter, the Bongo District as the area was lagging behind in many areas of development. He mentioned for example that the Bongo-Namoo road which also connects Ghana to Burkina Faso was in a bad state and needed immediate and urgent attention. He also called for the establishment of a Shea Board independent of the Cocoa Board so that proper attention would be given to the multitude of people in the north of Ghana engaged in the shea nut and shea butter business.
The chief was also full of praise for President Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo for the 100 percent upward adjustment in the monthly allowances paid to chiefs noting that, it comes at a time that the modern day chief travels a lot for meetings and other engagements including national assignments outside their jurisdictions. He further welcomed government’s “one district, one factory” and “one village, one dam” programmes saying the Bongo area stands to gain a lot with the fruition of these interventions and urged his subjects to ready themselves to get involved in the implementation.
For his part, Upper East Regional Minister, Rockson Ayine Bukari said his visit to the Bo-Naba’s palace was primarily to formally introduce himself and his deputy to the chief and also to seek his blessings as political head of the region. He promised that something drastic will be done about the Bongo-Namoo road especially for the reason that a university was also operating in that area. He hinted that the roads minister will soon visit the region and that he will get the minister to inspect the road among others that equally need attention.
The RM said he would run an open –door administration devoid of party colourisations and called for the support of all. He also called for the decentralisation of the Northern Development Authority so as to allow for tailor-made policies to seek solutions to the peculiar development needs of the target regions. He disclosed that government has resolved to further reduce the cost of fertilizers and also provide improved seeds to farmers and charged the security agencies to stamp out smugglers in the system who often cross over with these subsidised farm inputs for sale in neighbouring countires.
Meanwhile, Mr. Bukari also made a passionate appeal through the chief to the Assembly Members of the Bongo Assembly to give a one-touch confirmation to the President’s nominee for the position of district chief executive for the area in order to ensure the smooth running of the Assembly and to bring about the needed development.
The Bongo Paramount Skin has 42 traditional communities and all the chiefs from these communities joined the Bo-Naba in receiving the regional minister and his entourage.
Source: Peter Atogewe Wedam (ISD)
